Louis Robilliard: Cavaillé-Coll Ste.-Croix Orléans

In addition to a number of smaller projects, Cavaille-Coll built three major organs in 1880. The first was Orléans, the others were for the Brussels Conservatory and for Lyon’s Church of St. Francis de Sales. Orléans’ organ is unusual in that the fourth manual controls a Bombarde division which borrows all of its stops from the Great Organ, and also that the Choir Organ is separate and cannot be coupled to the Swell or to the Pedal, as is usual elsewhere. In addition, the Pedal division contains a 32-foot Contre-Bombarde which is an all-reed resultant using reed quints to produce the lowest octave of pitches.

The Orléans organ was thoroughly restored in 2008 and this is the first recording of the once ailing instrument. Louis Robilliard regularly presides over another of Cavaille-Coll’s 1880 masterpieces in Lyons. Completely familiar with both the builder and the works played here, he gives us an opportunity to hear, once again, the sounds of Orleans’ treasure in Sainte-Croix.

WIDOR: Symphonie Romane, Opus 73;
Symphonie No. 5, Opus 42

6962162$14.98